Fence



(No Model.)

B. M. BAKER.

FENCE.

Patented Nov. 30, 1886.

Will-125525 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN M. BAKER, OF CRAYON, OHIO. I t

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,437, dated November30, 1886.

' Application filed July-1, 1886. Serial No. 206,887. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN M1 BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Crayon, 1n the county of Ghainpaign and State of Ohio,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fences in which the boards orrails which form the body of the fence are supported in place by andeconomically constructed.

in dotted lines.

My invention consists in the constructions and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a perspective View of a fence embodying my inventlon. Fig. 2is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed view ofthe supporting-loop, the braces being shown therein Fig. 4 is a detailedview showing the arrangement of the diagonal braces and theanchor-stake.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout theseveral views.

The body of the fence I preferably make of a series of rails, A, whichextend parallel with each other to form a panel, the ends of the railsin the respective panels being adapted to overlap each other, as shown.The respective panels are supported at each end by braces B, whlch crosseach other at or near the top, and

are held together by a supportingloop, O, of

novel construction, which also serves to support, or rather to suspend,the fence-panels from the braces, as hereinafter more fully described.This loop 0 is formed of a single piece of wire, the ends of which arejoined together to form an endless band. In constructing the fence theendless band thus formed is doubled together, forming a'straight band oftwo strands, the ends of which consist of small loops at. Inconstructing the fence the band thus formed, constituting thesupporting-loop O, is passed around the overlapping ends of obtaineddraw the supporting-loop tightly around said rails.

I preferably make the braces B sufficiently long to cross above the topof the panel proper, as shown in the drawings, and provide an additionalrow of rails or riders, A, though, if desired, these may be dispensedwith, in which case the braces B need only be long enough to engage thelooped ends of the supporting-100p O.

The lower rails of the series which form the panel are suspended fromthe top rails, A, of the panel or the riders, as the case may be, bycleats D, which are each composed of an unyielding strip, 1), and aflexible wire, b. Under the overlapping ends of each row of rails atension-wire, b", is passed around the suspendingcleat D, thus drawingthe strip b and wire I) firmly against the said rails, holding themsecurely in position. By having the cleat D composed of one flexiblestrip and one unyielding one the rails of the lower rows are held inline with each other, and at the same time the said ole-at is adapted toconform to the shape of the rails and accommodate itself to rails ofdifferent or varying sizes.

The braces B are secured together below the supporting-loop O by meansof a tie-wire, E, which passes around the cleat D, and is made fast ateach end to the respective braces B. This tie-wire E, I pass around thecleat D, immediately below one of the rows of rails A, as shown in Fig.2, whereit is drawn tightly and secured to the braces B, and thusanswers the purpose of one of the tensionwires bflwhich may be dispensedwith.

Extending from each of the cleats D, at the top to the middle of thepanel at the bottom, are diagonal braces F. These diagonal braces aresecured at the bottom to the lower rail, A, of the series by means of aloop, F, which is passed around the said braces and lower rail, whilethe braces are parallel to the said lower rail, after which the bracesare raised to their normal position, which thus tightens the loop firmlyaround the braces and rail. The braces are then secured to the cleats atthe top, thus binding the whole together. At the center of each panel,preferably at a point opposite the loop F, I place an anchor-stake, G,to which I secure the lower rail by means of a suitable fastening,preferably of wire. This anchorstake, in connection with the tie-wire E,holds the panels rigidly between the braces B. If desired, the samefastening which secures the diagonal braces to the lower rail may beused for securing the lower rail to the stake Gr, so that when thebraces are raised to their normal position after the said fastening hasbeen placed in position around the respective parts the whole will betightened together, thus making it very firm and secure.

It is obvious that, instead of rails, boards may be used to form thepanels with equally good results. In this case, however, instead of theoverlapping ends of the boards being placed one upon the other theywould preferably be placed side by side, the riders A would be dispensedwith, and the supportingbraces B would be made just long enough toengage the looped ends of the supportingloop 0.

Other modifications of construction may be employed without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly speaking, to construct a fence ofrails and wire, and that fences of the same general construction of theone herein described have heretofore been used. I do not therefore claimthis construction, broadly; but 7 What I do claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the longitudinal rails and the supporting loop andbraces, of the suspending-cleats composed of one flexible and oneunyielding side, tensionwires around said cleats, a tie-wire connectingsaid cleats and braces, diagonal braces from said cleats to the lowerrail, and the anchor-stake secured thereto, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of June,A. D. 1886.

EDXVIN M. BAKER.

VVit-n esses:

PAUL A. STALEY, W. F. M. SMAIL.

